Page 72 - OHS, June 2021

AED & CPR
Workplace fifirst-aid responders who learn CPR and AED skills might never need them but should remain prepared.
You should include employees from various departments and shifts in training to ensure broad coverage, especially over holiday and vacation time. With the recent pandemic, many employers are shifting to online learning; however, online training doesn’t meet OSHA’s basic first aid and CPR training requirements with a hands-on component.
In a Letter of Interpretation dated August 2, 2012, OSHA addressed the use of online training (computer-based training without a hands-on skill component or verification of competent skill performance by a qualified trainer) for meeting the intent of the basic first-aid and CPR requirements under several of its standards, including:
■ 1926.269, Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution
■ 1910.410, Qualififications of dive team
■ 1910.151, Medical services and fifirst aid
■ 1910.146, Permit-required confined spaces
■ 1910.266, Logging operations
■ 1926.950, General (safety requirements for Electrical
Power Transmission and Distribution)
OSHA says that online training alone would not meet the
requirements of these training standards. The Agency went on to quote Webster’s II New Collegiate Dictionary (1995, p. 1,169) definition of the word “train,” which is “[t]o make proficient with special instruction and practice.”
OSHA said that the standards require training in physical skills, such as bandaging and CPR. However, the standards cited above don’t require verification of competent performance, except for certain work activities like confined space entry and diving operations.
Also, OSHA’s “Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid Program” (2006, p. 11) states that a first-aid training program should have trainees develop hands-on skills using mannequins and partner practice. Even if not specifically required, hands-on training allows for better performance during the stress of an emergency.
The written program should spell out who’s authorized to use the AEDs. If only trained members of your emergency response team will use the AED, you should provide a list of names in the written program. If you allow anyone who’s trained and certified to use the AEDs, that should be in writing as well.
Ensuring Maintenance
AEDs must receive regular and proper inspection, service and maintenance to ensure they operate correctly. Your supplier and the AED’s written instructions will provide you with this information. This can vary by manufacturer, but once the unit gets used, service is always required. As recommended by the manufacturer, periodic self-diagnostic tests and regular battery replacement will help ensure that it’ll operate as designed when needed.
AED service records should be part of the written program. Keep a written record of each individual AED in your facility in case your company is ever asked to produce that information. This includes specific information on all tests and maintenance done to the unit, when they were done, and by whom.
Note each time the unit was used and what maintenance was performed following use. Also, record when pads and batteries have been replaced (reference the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule).
Using an AED and CPR together is a must-have to increase a worker’s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest. While chest compressions can circulate blood, a stopped heart cannot be restarted by chest compression alone. So, train responders to use the C-A-Bs of CPR with a properly maintained and working AED.
Ray Chishti joined J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. in 2017 as a Workplace Safety Editor. Ray is an OSHA-authorized trainer for general industry and construction and holds first aid, AED and CPR certifications.
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68 Occupational Health & Safety | JUNE 2021
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